The Kids Are Alright

A glimmer of hopefulness in a sea of despair.

With all the icky stuff happening so fast and furious these days as the old systems implode and collapse, it is very easy to miss the gorgeous new growth that is springing up from the ashes. Every day we are being reminded that our job is not to just fight the current systems of injustice and destruction, but also to be setting the foundations for what we want to see replace them. We need to be planting the seeds of the new ecosystem that will inevitably grow out of the devastation. And I'm here to say that as the world (literally) burns around us, the kids, as far as I can tell, are busy creating a world that I want to live in, and it fills me with so much joy.

It may seem like I might be painting each generation with a singular brush in this newsletter, but what I hope to convey are just a few of my observations from my little Polyanna bubble. And what I'm seeing from the young ones these days gives me immense hope for better times ahead. Are you seeing it too?

My kids are alright.

I am in constant awe of my kids. Every day my kids teach me new expansive ways of thinking. They lovingly challenge my ingrained thought patterns that are harmful and serve no one. I love watching them move through this world so wisely and lovingly, unburdened by so many of the patriarchal restraints that my generation embraced. They are facing a worrying world with imagination, open-mindedness, creativity, courage, and care. These two are my teachers. I am in awe.

Actually, I am in awe of most kids these days. But let me boast about my younger kiddo (they/them) and their cohort just now. We were having a wee chinwag recently where they were telling me about how they are scheming with a handful of friends to figure out how to live cooperatively (consciously? communally? They're still looking for the right word.) while living apart. They are looking at their unique and combined skillsets and discussing how to utilize them so that they are all supported in a nurturing and anti-capitalist way. Wow! When my kiddo moved into a shared house with a massive back yard last summer they called on their pals who also love growing things and turned that big-ass backyard into a communal garden which is now flourishing. Wow again!

From what my kiddo says, these young folk are intentionally moving away from hustle culture to something more caring, communal, and cooperative (those words again!). These kids have first hand experience of how badly hustle culture is failing and so, rather than allowing themselves or their friends to slip through the societal cracks of a dying capitalist system, they are coming together to create something so much more beautiful and healthy. Wow some more!

Young farmers

Bless their tender hearts and sturdy backs. While my parents' generation was busy blitzing the planet, I am heartened to know that there is a growing trend of young farmers who are busting their backsides to love and regenerate the planet back to health while nourishing their communities. Over the past few years, our local farmers' market has played host to more and more twenty-something farmers who are absolutely rocking the world of food production. I am eternally grateful and beyond impressed with these hearty young folk who are planting the seeds for a greener world. It is incumbent upon those of us who can afford it to support these upstart farmers so that they can continue their vital work of loving the earth. And what a great incentive to eat more vegetables!

Three cheers for the young folk who are entering the snake pit of politics.

I was tickled pink when Emily Lowan was elected leader of the BC Green Party last fall. At a mere 25 years of age, this young firecracker has entered the provincial political ring, with incredible energy and on her own terms. Like so many young 'uns who are entering politics, Emily is not playing by the rules that were designed to exclude people like her or to keep them 'in line'. Emily has been touring the province, holding town halls, listening to British Columbians and spreading her message of hope on her "Fight the Oligarchs" tour. She is engaging with a younger generation of disheartened and disenfranchised voters. Emily gives me hope for our province which the current government seems determined to destroy (and these are the 'good' guys!).

What really excites me is how many young people we see running for office (and winning!) all over the world, with the clear understanding that they're the ones who can and will make the changes they want to see. Not to dis some of the older politicians who have devoted years to holding governments accountable, but I am thoroughly enjoying the creative, playful, inclusive ways the youth are showing up and stirring up political systems that are so old and tired and ineffective. I am in awe of their courage to enter this world that is notoriously toxic, and the way they are challenging the current systems that would have them believe that there is only one way to do politics. Of course, the poster child for youthful progressive politicians is Zohran Mamdani, but everywhere we look, there are lively youth following in his footsteps and stepping into politics.

Gen Z ain't having it!

From Albania to the US of A, and everywhere in between, masses of pissed off Gen Zs are rising up to demand better from their governments, and it's working. I mean, the youth have always been at the forefront of societal change, but something feels different this time. Perhaps it's the delightful creativity of these movements. Perhaps it's how they use the internet so deftly to spread their message and garner support. Perhaps their future is so scary, they have no choice but to show up en masse and fight for a better world. And they are, indeed, showing up!

I've been watching the Sunrise Movement since their inception in 2017 with their growing demands for a Green New Deal. All across the US, Sunrise chapters are running progressive candidates, protesting ICE, imagining a world without billionaires, and demanding bold climate action.

Over the past few months we've watched Albania's Gen Z make waves worldwide with their powerful Flamingo Revolution. What started as a mobilization of young Albanians saying 'Fuck no!' to Jared & Ivanka's gross plans to build a luxury resort on a local nature reserve has led to them taking down various members of their own corrupt government, all while joyfully and relentlessly marching in the streets waving pink flamingos.

And then there's the Cockroach protests in India, started by the satirical Cockroach Janta Party who represent "the Burnt Out Youth" of India. Refusing to accept the flagrant corruption of their government, growing numbers of Indian youth are using creative, humorous, noisy, collaborative means to demand a world that no longer forgets them.

On the other hand...

I have recently been tasked with emptying out my parents' home where they dwelled and hoarded for the past 26 years (actually, my dad died 11 years ago, may his memory be a blessing, so it's been just my stepmother since 2015). For the most part, my parents' generation were the children of parents who lived frugally, made do with what they had, and mended everything. However, between the postwar abundance and the magic worked by the marketing Madmen, my parents, like so many of their peers, lived to consume. And, good lord! I am discovering what rabid consumers they were.

As I wade through the piles and piles of Dollarama doo-dahs and 2-for-1 tins of tunafish, I am unearthing the occasional treasured tchotchke (my father loved to travel and was very generous with his souvenir giving). But mainly, I am horrified to find myself face to face with drawers and closets and boxes and cupboards full of cheap crap. Even though I understand the circumstances which led my parents and so many from this post-war generation to consume like there's no tomorrow - joke's on us as we are now left wondering how many tomorrows there will be thanks to their are uncontrollable consumerism - I find myself cursing while I clean, at my parents (who were actually just a product of their time) but still did their part to fuck things up for my kids' generation.

But like I said, I am not intending to paint each generation with one brush. For every pressing issue, there is always an army of elders ready to fight for justice. Perhaps they were mass consumers in their day. Perhaps not. Right now they are defenders of justice and democracy and decency, and that counts for everything.

Personal observations from the middle of the generational sandwich.

I guess I'm part of what is known as the sandwich generation - caring for elderly parents and kids at the same time (though my kids are increasingly independent). As I delve into my parents' world that centred on consuming as much as possible, and hustling hard to be able to afford all the desired doo-dahs, I am finding so much hope in the young folk who are shunning this capitalist paradigm and planting the seeds for something better. Of course there are folk from across all the generations showing up right now, and it's gonna take all of us in this fight for justice and survival. I am grateful for every person doing their part for decency in these indecent times. But, for those who are inheriting this mess and coming together to turn things around, I am in awe. From my perspective, the kids really are alright.

With love, as always,

Jessica (she/her)